Johannesburg :- The 2nd PakistanโSouth Africa Trade Summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, to enhance trade and investment ties and B2B relations between Pakistan and South Africa.
More than 100 business delegates from Pakistan and South Africa participated in the summit, co-chaired by Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Federal Minister for Investment, Pakistan, and Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Minister of Small Business Development, South Africa.
Other key attendees included Deputy Minister for Social Development Ganief Ebrahim Hendricks, High Commissioner of Pakistan to South Africa Malik Muhammad Farooq, Vice President of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI), Neil Pollock, Director General, Board of Investment, Mahmood Tufail, and Chairman of the PakistanโSADC Chamber Trade Federation Rafiq Memon.
In his keynote address, Minister Sheikh reaffirmed Pakistanโs commitment to building a robust economic partnership with South Africa. He outlined reforms implemented by the Government of Pakistan to improve the ease of doing business and attract foreign direct investment in the priority sectors of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, information technology and energy. Calling the Summit โa starting point for stronger private sector collaboration,โ he emphasized the role of both governments, business and industry leaders, and diaspora communities in turning goodwill into tangible economic outcomes. He also invited South African investors and businesses to view Pakistan as a gateway to regional markets.
Speaking at the Summit, Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams highlighted the significant potential for enhancing bilateral trade and investment cooperation between South Africa and Pakistan. She said that both countries have historical, political, and cultural ties, and that South Africa was Pakistanโs largest trading partner on the African continent. She emphasized that the Summit offered a key opportunity to strengthen B2B engagements and expand private sector collaboration in textiles, pharmaceuticals, and automotive components.
Pakistan High Commissioner, Farooq underscored that the historical goodwill between the two countries provided a solid foundation for advancing trade and investment ties. He highlighted the complementary strengths of both economies and identified key opportunities in agriculture, mining, renewable energy, manufacturing, and information technology. He termed the Summit as a launchpad for bringing together businesses, investors, and policymakers.
The Summit was organized by the PakistanโSADC Chamber Trade Federation in collaboration with the Pakistan High Commission, Gauteng Growth and Development Agency and other partners.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology,ย andย Health.
